moon_guardfandomcom-20200213-history
Order of Invictus
Order of Invictus researchers of the obscure. teachers of the unspoken. students of an absolute freedom. Formed after Archimonde’s destruction of Dalaran, the Order of Invictus seeks out the realm's most experienced and talented practitioners of “dark” arts to form a solid base that functions both as a place of learning for potentially gifted students, and a society in which darker forms of magic could be studied without fear of reprisal or death from the world outside. With the coming of the Legion to Azeroth's doorstep, the Order's leaders have reconvened and refocused their efforts on a new, but difficult task: sniffing out each and every demon, pit lord and dreadlord from the isles and sending them back to the hell they spawned from for good. To do this, they have enlisted the help of the Knights of the Ebon Blade to work alongside their own long list of renowned magic users, as well as some of Azeroth's most talented rogues to track down and retrieve items of power thought lost to the annals of history. Artifact recovery, spell theory, knowledge, subterfuge and sheer, deadly force is the name of the game, and the Order of Invictus has accepted the challenge. History of Invictus "Welcome to Warlocking, ladies and gentlemen." He spoke to the class with a distant tone, eyes fixed upon a large blackboard behind the desk that sat upon an elevated stage. There was a large tome sitting neatly on a pedestal off on the far end of the stage and the succubus “Aezna strode slowly down the rows of students, whip at the ready. It wasn't until Vincentus stepped up on this stage that he took a long glance down towards the crowd. All ages sat in the desks below, from the young and eager to the middle-aged and nervous. The instructor put a hand out towards the crowd, tilting his palm upwards and pulling back his sleeve as a green-tinged flame burst forth from his palm. It burned calmly, and every set of eyes was now on him. "Forget everything you've learned about ley lines and the arcane tonight. The magic we weild is fel-tinged, from the bowels of the twisting nether, that place you damned yourself to by coming here. Fel-energy is addicting and dangerous. Either you consume it in all of its power, or it will -- with some eventuality -- consume you instead. Madness and untimely deaths are occupational hazards in our world. Pain is a part of the job, and those with a queasiness around blood are welcome to walk out at any time. But know this," He raised a finger as several students rose to remove themselves. "If a word of this place is spoken of or considered to be spoken of, you have my promise that you will not live to speak or think of it again." + The creation of Invictus came as a result of the destruction of Dalaran, and began as nothing more than Vincentus Varlisse and his close friend Adrien Crowe making a concerted effort to track down and ensure the safety of their missing students and fellow warlocks- many of which perished in the underbelly during the attack. Knowing well that a troupe of traveling warlocks and one blood mage would not be accepted anywhere on Azeroth, the then-group of nine swore an oath between them; that they would keep their arts alive, no matter the cost. It was Adrien who created the sigil that each member wears somewhere on their person, along with the Invictus Arcana, a large spell tome in which each newly founded member signed their name in blood to. Over the years the tome has increased in size as new spells and names are added to its seemingly endless pages. To this day, nobody knows precisely where the original tome is located, but magical copies of its pages are accessible to those who know how to call them forth- a skill that only the most trusted and accomplished members of the Order have learned. From that day, the group fanned out and crossed the oceans, walked through portals, and provided their services where the Alliance needed them most - and wanted them least. Adrien continued on with his double life as a liaison between Dalaran and other city-states, while Vincentus went on his own personal mission to continue the research that he’d lost, track down and murder the man responsible, and find more students worthy of learning the secrets of the Fel. This trip took him as far as the Dark Portal and beyond, and on this journey that he first experienced the true power of the void and shadow priests. It was an anchorite named Dekath who became the first priest of Invictus, and his coven quickly grew to include night elves and humans. Historically, Vincentus has always had it out for necromancers. He lived through Kel’thuzad and his Cult of The Damned, and the experience had left a sour taste in his mouth for many years. However, with the emergence of the now free death knights and the assault on the frozen throne looming near, the now aging warlock was intrigued. Rune magic was something he’d only seen bits and pieces of. It was these few years in Northrend that he was finally able to meet in person with Adrien again and re-unite with old friends, and it was then that the decision was made to allow the undead to write her name in the tome and join the, by then, global movement that Invictus was slowly becoming. During the incident on Pandaria, the Order had fallen largely dormant. While some found the sha to be a fascinating phenomenon, and many a warlock (including Vince) and shadow priest found their way into various expeditions and adventures, no pandaren had been inducted into the Order until the conflict was nearly over. + "How.. how could.." How could he not have known? How had this gone on for so long under his nose? Why was he in this room with a warlock, stunned into the ground? Instead of a life flashing before his eyes, his mind clawed through years of memories, years of being fooled into believing the person who stood before him was harmless, friendly, selfless, and something he never was. The pieces couldn’t come together quickly enough, and the world outside would never hear his curled screams, forced confessions. Nor would they see the bloody mess that lay lifeless or the red-head who casually stepped over it with his fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Vincent." The tiny hearthstone relayed its message to the appropriate ears. The fingers that held it trembled. “Please let Mister Denwald know what we do to spies and traitors when you hold your next class.” + It was during the third crossing through the dark portal that problems began to surface within the order. The strength and influence of Gul’dan and the orcs of the shadowlands caused a series of witch hunts and several events of civil unrest among magic users. Several raids intent on wiping out communities of suspected warlocks had taken place in a short period of time, and both of those events left Adrien and the order reeling from the widespread terror and uncertainty. It was at this time that Invictus was forced to convene for the first time since its original inception. This meeting consisted of twenty-four individuals at an unrecorded location, and lasted for roughly seven hours. Many a subject was discussed, but the heaviest discourse came when deciding how to ensure the protection of the Invictus Arcana, its creator, and the sanctity of the order itself. (Three times within the past month, traitors had been rooted out and killed in cold blood- one by Vincentus himself as a lesson to his current students and fellow professors. The victim - Artemis Denwald - spent near three days tortured publically at the hand of his captor, and eventually succumbed to his injuries). For the first time in the order’s history, they agreed to reach outside of themselves and hire a more reliable sort of protection - rogues. Allison Marlowe, a personal hire of one of the members of the order at the time, was the first rogue to sign her name into the tome, and earned her keep among the order with unmatched skill and efficiency. Over the next year and half, she and several new recruits worked quietly in the background, removing threats and retrieving items thought long lost by various members of the order. In time, they became almost a society within themselves. It is rumored that several members are also a part of the famed SI:7, but no such thing has been confirmed- and likely never will be. For several years, no major events had been reported, and again Invictus seemed to simply disappear. Vincentus retired from his teaching position and settled in Northrend, and Adrien continued his work in Dalaran. All seemed peaceful, until the Legion’s invasion. Vince had heard of the incident from afar, but the Legion was not the first concern. Adrien had vanished from his quarters two weeks before and had not been heard from since. Leads suggest that an also-missing shadow priest may have something to do with it, but no confirmation has been made. + “You are going to need knowledge of magic. Of other worlds. Of demons. You’re going to need things you don’t have, Mister Dacey, and I can provide those things. That is,” He pauses, watching the slow narrow of the man’s eyes. A knife could cut through the tension in the room, and he reveled in it. “If you’re willing to do something for me. But first, I must ask. How far are you willing to go on this fool’s mission? What are you willing to do?” There was a pause as the death knight considered his words, stared into his soul and measured the risk. He’d already traded his identity to a warlock for less. There was little left of him that another man could take. But there was a truth in this room that he couldn’t deny. An offer he couldn’t refuse, and an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up. Consequences be damned on this day. He leaned forward, resolutely. “Anything.” + When a member of Invictus dies, their name is scrubbed from the tome. Adrien Crowe’s name still remains within it, and is checked upon daily. As of recently the original Invictus Arcana still remains untouched and unfound, but none know when this will change, or if the magical book will vanish along with the master should his life be taken. Several efforts have been made by Vincentus and others to track down the missing warlock, up to and including the use of an old military commander Aran Dacey and his undead affiliates. The warlock is convinced that his friend has been taken to the isles, and now uses all possible modes of research, contacts, and artifacts of power necessary to track down the group or single person responsible.''Category:Warlocks Category:Cult of the Forgotten Shadow Category:Organizations Category:Blood Mages Category:Priests Category:Death Knights Category:Education Organizations Category:Espionage Organizations Category:Magical Organizations Category:Necromancers Category:Alliance Guilds Category:Order of Invictus